Field of the Invention
Automated over and under line feed systems have been developed to maximize assembly line parts handling efficiency. These automated over and under line feed systems provide an uninterrupted flow of parts carried in containers or racks. The exact dimensions of the over and under line feed systems depend on the size and quantity of the parts to be carried. One such automated over and under line feed system is manufactured by Master Manufacturers, Inc. of Carlisle, Pa. Another is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,999 to Smock, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Over and under line feed systems maximize assembly line parts handling efficiency and are beneficial where high speed, mass production depends on an uninterrupted flow of parts carried in containers or racks. These rigid line feed systems are constructed based on the size of the parts to be carried. Once such a rigid line feed system is installed, modification of the line feed system to accommodate differently-sized parts is extremely difficult, if not impossible, should a change occur in the product being manufactured such that different size parts are required to be carried by the line feed system. This is particularly the case where the line feed system was constructed to handle parts of a particular size and, due to changes in manufacturing needs, parts of a much larger size are now required to be carried. In such cases, the entire line feed system would have to be removed and replaced with a new, larger capacity line feed system. Such a purchase and substitution of a new line feed system represents a large capital outlay. Further, the down time caused by replacing line feed systems greatly reduces the productivity of the assembly line.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an over and under line feed system which can be simply and easily expanded or contracted to allow the line feed system to be adapted to convey parts of differing sizes.
The present invention generally includes an over and under line feed system having a first end and a second end, a plurality of adjustable first support legs, and a plurality of second support legs, wherein each of the plurality of second support legs is spaced apart from each of the first support legs. Also included is a plurality of adjustable support cross members, wherein each of the plurality of support cross members is connected substantially perpendicular to a corresponding one of the plurality of first support legs and a corresponding one of the plurality of second support legs.
Two of the plurality of adjustable support cross members may be connected substantially perpendicular to a corresponding one of the plurality of first support legs and a corresponding one of the plurality of second support legs, and each of the plurality of adjustable support cross members may lie in substantially the same imaginary plane.
A conveyor assembly may also be provided. The conveyer assembly is preferably positioned adjacent to the plurality of adjustable support cross members, substantially perpendicular to the plurality of adjustable support cross members. The conveyor assembly may include a conveyor track assembly and a plurality of indexing rails.
An elevator assembly may be positioned adjacent to the first frame end. The elevator assembly may include two substantially-parallel elevator supports connected to each other by an elevator cross member, wherein at least one of the substantially-parallel elevator supports is movably connected to the first end of the line feed system. A workstation and a movable elevator may also be provided.
The movable elevator generally includes an adjustable elevator cross member, a pair of adjustable, spaced-apart, substantially-vertical elevator support members, a pair of adjustable, spaced-apart elevator base members, and an adjustable elevator base cross member. The adjustable elevator cross member may be positioned between the pair of adjustable, spaced-apart, substantially-vertical elevator support members, each one of the pair of adjustable, spaced-apart elevator base members are positioned adjacent to a corresponding end of one of the pair of adjustable spaced-apart, vertical elevator support members, and the adjustable elevator base cross member is positioned between each of the pair of adjustable, spaced-apart elevator base members.
At least one method of converting an over and under line feed system to accommodate a larger or smaller container generally includes the step of moving the at least one of the plurality of adjustable support cross members to a length greater than a width of the container. An additional step may include moving the two substantially-parallel elevator supports to a position substantially-parallel to the plurality of adjustable cross members. A plurality of inserts having a plurality of desired heights may also be provided, along with the step of inserting at least one of the plurality of insert into the adjustable first support legs and the adjustable second support legs to increase or decrease an overall length of each of the plurality of adjustable first support legs and each of the plurality of adjustable second support legs. The step of adjusting the elevator to fit the larger or smaller container is also contemplated.